Texprocess Exhibitor Preview: Oeko-Tex Association

FRANKFURT - April 15, 2013 - From 11 to 13 June 2013 OEKO-TEX® will have their own trade fair stand
at the Texprocess in Frankfurt a.M. for the first time. On the occasion of the market introduction
of the STeP certification system for sustainable textile production, the experts from several
OEKO-TEX® facilities will be available to interested trade visitors in hall 4.0 F28, primarily to
provide detailed explanations of the requirements and the process for the new OEKO-TEX®
certification. The official start for the certification will be on 12 June during an evening event
for the presentation of the OEKO-TEX® Sustainability Award.

The Sustainability Award was created in 2012 to mark the occasion of the 20th anniversary of
OEKO-TEX®, with the aim of honouring companies working with OEKO-TEX® who have shown special
commitment through sustainable management. The award, which is not endowed with any prize money, is
presented in the five categories environmental management, quality management, social
responsibility, safety management and product innovation. A jury with seven representatives of the
OEKO-TEX® Association, NGOs, industry and research as well as associations and the trade press will
select the winners of the award in the individual categories. Three companies are nominated for
each category out of all companies who were already pre-selected as 'OEKO-TEX® Companies of the
Month' from all entries received during the past year.

In addition to the personal handing over of the awards to the five winners, the evening
event in Frankfurt will provide the festive setting for the official launch of the new OEKO-TEX®
certification for environmentally friendly and socially responsible companies from the textile
value chain. As a modern further development of the previous OEKO-TEX® Standard 1000, the new
certification tool with the name 'Sustainable Textile Production (STeP)' provides brands, retail
companies and manufacturers worldwide with an option for modular analysis of all relevant company
areas such as quality management, use of chemicals, environmental protection, environmental
management, social responsibility and occupational health and safety.

The aim of the STeP certification is to provide production facilities with targeted support
for the continuing optimisation of their manufacturing technologies and working conditions in the
sense of more environmental protection, workplace safety and social responsibility. The assessment
to what extent STeP certified companies are showing sustainable management is made after the
application, the assessment carried outonline and the final company audit in the form of a
transparent three-stage scoring